Barack Obama/Podcasts

“ If some of the problems they may have as a consequence of being on the battlefield are not dealt with early, then they can have long-term problems, which is one of the reasons why veterans are seven times more likely to be homeless than non-veterans. ”

“ Anybody who's ever visited Walter Reed Hospital here in Washington and has seen twenty year-olds and twenty-two year-olds who have had legs amputated or suffered severe nerve damage I think understands they have made an unbelievable sacrifice on our behalf and that we've got an obligation to make sure that just as they are fighting on our behalf that we are going to make sure that we fight for their behalf when they come home. ”

“ I hope that we've got some veterans on the podcast who may have been disabled and are receiving benefits. If you live in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Connecticut, Ohio or New Jersey, than you live in a state in which the average disability payment is substantially lower than payments to disabled veterans in other states. ”

“ It indicates the enormous toll that war, of any sort, can take on our young men and women. It's also a reminder for those of us who are in civilian life but have the authority to authorize war do so with a great sense of responsibility and caution. ”

“ It turned out that a number of veterans in states including Illinois had been apparently short-changed in terms of their disability payments. Typically, veterans who've been injured receive some sort of disability payment. They are evaluated by various regional offices of Veterans Affairs, and they are awarded a certain percentage based on the kind of injury they've received and the severity of the injury. ”

“ I think, actually, at this point that we may get a comprehensive bill out of the Senate, then the challenge is going to be making sure that we're able to negotiate with House members to reconcile differences and ensure that we've got a piece of legislation that both deals with border security, ensures that employers have to verify the employment status of their employees, and also gives a pathway to citizenship to the 11 to 12 million people who are already here but undocumented. ”